Sisters See What No-One Else Can
by Hallow Sisters On My Mind
Summary: Esmerelda's Powers are not the same since she got them back of Agatha and Ethel knowing it is her fault wants to help her but when no-one believes her and she is at risk of explusion what will she do? And will Esmerelda's Powers ever work properly again?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you to the stargate time traveler for giving me the idea for this story. I do NOT own the Worst Witch or the Worst Witch Characters from CBBC.

* * *

 **Sisters See What No-One Else Can**

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Chapter One

The new school year at Cackle's Academy had started exactly three days ago and everyone was still settling back into the boarding school life.

Esmeralda Hallow was the eldest Hallow sister and she was now a forth year, her younger sister, Ethel, was now a second year and the youngest sister, Sybil, had just started as a first year at the school. Sybil was incredibly homesick and struggling to settle into the school, she was a lot closer to her parents than her sisters so was struggling to be away from them and spent a lot of her days crying.

Currently the three blonde girls were sat in the eldest sister's room all sat on her bed talking. Sybil was in tears worried about her flying exam that was starting very soon, she might be a Hallow but unlike her sisters flying was not her strong point.

"Don't cry Sybs you will do fine" Esmeralda told the younger girl as she wrapped her arm around her.

"If I fail they will kick me out!" Sybil cried more. She was so nervous about the whole thing.

"No they won't Sybs, Mildred Hubble was allowed to take it twice you will be allowed to as well" Ethel told her sister trying to reassure her.

"I am not good at flying like you two though" Sybil replied through her tears.

"You will do just fine don't panic so much" Esmeralda told her sister knowing she was getting herself into a state.

"I know what will cheer you up" Esmeralda replied with a smile as an idea entered her head about how to stop Sybil panicking and cheer her up.

"What?" Sybil asked the eldest with her brown eyes full of tears.

"I learned this new spell the other day, you will love it" Esmeralda said looking around the room until she spotted a notebook with a butterfly on it.

"Watch this" Esmeralda told her sisters as she lifted her hand and pointed her fingers at the notebook.

The spell in question made things come alive for a brief period, so the butterfly should in effect come alive and start flying around only nothing happened.

"Watch what?" Ethel asked her sister confused as she didn't see anything interesting happen.

"I must have not concentrated enough let me try again" Esmeralda told her sisters shaking her hand a little before she pointed her fingers at the notebook again. The notebook didn't even move a inch.

"That spell is not very good" Sybil told her sister seeing that it was not working.

"I must not be casting it right" Esmeralda replied trying to keep the panic out of her voice "I will have to study it more later" Esmeralda told her sisters as an alarm sounded. It was one and that meant time for Sybil's exam, her exam actually was starting in half an hour but she had an flying lesson first.

"We will come watch you soon" Esmeralda told Sybil hugging her for good luck. The girl sighed and left the room leaving the two eldest girls alone together.

Ethel waited for the door to close then moved nearer to her sister on the bed. Ethel could tell something was on her sister's mind as she was playing with her thumbs which she did when she was nervous or thinking deeply about something and Ethel thought this time she might know what it was.

"How come the spell didn't work?" Ethel asked getting started on the questioning. Esmie turned to look at her looking anxious and not able to hide it, not from Ethel anyway.

"I told you, I cast the spell wrong that is all" Esmeralda replied unconvincingly. Ethel raised her eyebrows at her.

"Oh really?" Ethel replied saracatically.

"Yes of course" Esmeralda told her sister nervously.

"Don't lie Esmie you are bad at lying, I know your powers are playing up" Ethel told her sister knowing what was going on.

The thing is Ethel had been noticing something really strange during the summer but she thought she was just thinking to much into it. Esmeralda seemed to be hiding her powers the whole summer, not letting anyone see her pefrom magic which was very strange, there students of Cackle's were allowed to use magic outside of school so she had no reason to hide her powers. It was almost as if Esmeralda had not wanted anyone to see her do magic because they would question something. Even so Ethel had caught her sister a few times performing magic during the summer and noticed sometimes nothing seemed to happen at all even with simple spells. Ethel had not spoken to her sister about it because she thought she was probably just seeing things but now she knew something was up with the girl's magic, Esmeralda was a genius at spells she shouldn't even have to think about it.

Esmeralda sighed before she replied knowing she must as well just tell Ethel the truth after all she would keep nagging her until she got it out of her.

"Yes..something is wrong with my powers...they haven't being right since I got them back of Agatha" Esmie admitted to the younger sister.

"How exactly are they playing up, they are not working is that it?" Ethel asked wondering if her powers were doing anything else. Magic was complicated it could be doing anything.

"It is more than that" Esmeralda started to reply "Sometimes my powers completely cut out and don't work at all, just like they did a second ago" Esmeralda told Ethel explaining why she had not being able to cast that spell.

"And sometimes they work but they do the completely wrong thing" Esmeralda replied sighing to herself. She had been trying to hide it but knew the problem was growing worse.

"But why? You got them back so why are they playing up?" Ethel asked her sister confused.

"I honestly don't know Ethie, I have been reading up about it but there is not really anything written down" Esmeralda admitted. The girl had already done research on it but failed to find she had failed to find anything that told her how to fix the problem.

"This is all my fault" Ethel replied feeling guilty. Her sister's powers would be fine if she had not tricked her into giving them to Agatha Cackle.

"Don't feel guilty, yes you did wrong but you more than made up for it in the end" Esmeralda told her sister with a smile. Ethel smiled back grateful her sister was not blaming her for it.

"There must be information about it somewhere, I mean you can't be the first person to have this happen to you" Ethel replied knowing information had to of being written down somewhere. Ethel doubted Esmeralda was there first person in the history of the craft to have lost her powers then had then returned.

"I am sure it has happened before but we both know most people would chose not to write about it" Esmeralda replied logically.

Ethel looked at her sister for a moment trying to figure out what she meant but then she understood where she was going with it. Writing about a topic such as this would be frowned upon because many witches fail to believe that powers can play up, many assume someone either has powers or they don't and they can't become weaker only get stronger except in the case of grief. Therefore a lot of witches would think they are just being paranoid and their powers are actually fine or that they had remembered their powers being stronger than they were before they lost them, also witches are not meant to complain so if someone is lucky to have powers they were supposed to deal with any problems they had without complaining to anyone about it. Having powers was a gift all witches were supposed to be grateful to have.

Ethel sighed knowing her sister was right about that but there must be a reason for it. Why were they playing up? Ethel had never heard of it happening before.

"I know take my powers, I don't deserve them I always use them for bad reasons, with my powers yours will be stronger" Ethel suggested to her wanting her sister to have working powers again.

"No Ethie I can't take your powers, it probably wouldn't help anyway" Esmeralda replied. She would never agree to take her sister's powers.

Ethel looked at her older sister and saw not only the worry on her face but the sadness. Having no powers was hard for Esmie but having them working on and off was in an way worst because it was like she was being tricked by being allowed to have them then having them taken away. None of this would have happened if Ethel's jealousy had not made her do something as stupid as she had done at the end of last year.

"I really am sorry Esmie" Ethel told her sister sadly for about the fiftieth time since the incident.

"You don't need to keep apologising" Esmeralda told her sister.

Ethel closed her eyes lost in her thoughts. Esmeralda was a good person, in theory the elder blonde should hate everything about the youngest, she should have disowned her, she shouldn't be talking to her, Ethel took things way to far and anyone else would have terminated any relationship they had with Ethel but not Esmeralda, the girl had forgiven her, the girl was not out for revenge, all she wanted was to get closer to Ethel, something that made no sense to Ethel, her sister should be distancing herself from her not wanting to get closer but Esmie did not hold grudges. Ethel decided in that moment she was going to do everything she could to help her. Her sister had done so much for her and still even now after everything kept supporting her so she would find a way to help owed her that much.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Whenever Ethel got any free time she was spending it in the library trying to find any information about the problems Esmerelda was experiencing with her powers, she looked through book after book, page after page,but Esmerelda was right...there was nothing anywhere.

After another failed attempt to find anything Ethel walked into Esmie's room sighing to herself and Esmerelda glanced up at her.

"You didn't find anything I presume?" Esmerelda asked her sister able to read her expression.

Ethel sat down on the bed next to her sister shaking her head.

"Nothing. I searched through countless books and I can't find anything" Ethel replied to her sister.

"I told you, it is hopeless" Esmerelda replied having no idea what she was going to do.

"Maybe we should tell someone" Ethel replied thinking the adults might know what to do.

"I have thought about it but Drill, Bat and Rowan-Webb will probably not know anymore than we do" Esmerelda started to explain why she was not telling anyone.

"HB might know something but she is not exactly...approachable" Esmerelda then said "As for Cackle, I have tried a few times but she always tells me she is busy and she will talk to me later" Esmerelda admitted telling her sister she had tried to tell someone.

Ethel sighed but knew it was not really the teachers faults. It was a boarding school and the teachers had to look after hundreds of pupils 24/7, they did not have very much time to listen to them about Esmerelda's powers.

"What about mum and dad?" Ethel asked quietly. She didn't get on with them but the eldest did after all. Esmerelda scoffed.

"No way am I telling them, they will never shut up about it and tell me I am imagining that my powers are so weak, and I would also have to explain everything that happened with Agatha" Esmerelda replied telling her sister why she was so against the idea.

After the end of last year Ada had told the girls it was up to them to tell their parents but she was not going to as there was more people than Ethel in the wrong, Ada had wanted to put the whole thing behind them and start a fresh the next year and the two girls agreed but Esmerelda and Ethel had agreed not to tell their parents, they would only flip and Ethel's relationship with them was already so rocky it would make living at home unbearable for Ethel. Sybil didn't even know, mainly for the reason she would blab to their parents about it without even meaning to. If Mr and Mrs Hallow found out about everything and then found out Ethel's actions had made her sisters powers so weak they were not even working half the time her parents would never let her forget it and her life will be not worth living. Telling Mr and Mrs Hallow was not even an option.

* * *

"You are right of course" Ethel told Esmie.

"Ethie do you think my powers will get worse? Do you think they will just keep getting weaker?" Esmerelda asked her sister for her opinion. She had started to worry about if it was going to get even worse.

Ethel had no idea, she had been so concerned with helping her sister she had not even thought of that possibility but the thought made her really upset.

"I don't know...what if you lose them and it is all my fault?" Ethel asked growing upset. It was true of course the girl had lost her powers before but that time Agatha had had them, if Esmie loses her powers this way they will be gone forever.

"It wouldn't be your fault...at the end of the day you didn't force me to give my powers to Agatha, I volunteered" Esmerelda replied knowing it was unfair for Ethel to blame everything on herself, Esmerelda could have refused to give her powers to the woman but she chose to, in a way it was her fault as well.

"Why am I so stupid? Why am I so evil? Why can I not stop being a brat?" Ethel shouted covering her face and bursting into tears feeling so guilty and so horrible about everything, she hated herself so much right now.

Esmerelda had heard whispering after what happened last year. She heard people say that they had no idea why Esmerelda forgave her sister because she was evil and not even sorry about what she did but Esmerelda knew nothing could be further from the truth, she knew her sister after all. Esmerelda had seen all summer how guilty Ethel felt about the whole thing, the elder girl had told her countless times that she had forgiven her and there was no hard feelings but that had not stopped Esmerelda from hearing her sister crying with guilt in her room when she was alone. Ethel might not show it to other people but she felt so guilty all the time about what she did.

"Ethie" Esmerelda said wrapping her arm around her crying sister "Please stop feeling so guilty, everything is okay, I am not holding any grudges" Esmerelda told her as she rubbed her back.

"But it is not okay, your powers are playing up and they it could get worst...they could keep getting worse until you have no powers" Ethie replied through her sobs.

"Ethie please don't cry" Esmerelda replied hating seeing her little sister so upset.

"Why don't they just kick me out the school now? I am just like Agatha anyway what is the point in me trying to change my path?" Ethel replied as she sobbed.

"Ethie!" Esmerelda replied raising her voice a little "Don't you ever say you are like Agatha" Esmie replied hurt her sister would think something like that.

"Why not? It is true, everyone always says I am anyway!" Ethel replied knowing perfectly well that people spoke and compared her to Agatha all the time, they even had before the incident with her last year and Ethel really didn't think they were wrong. She knew she was following Agatha's path, she could not stop being bad.

"Ethie look at me" Esmerelda told her the younger blonde who looked up slowly her blue eyes shining with tears and her eyes red from all her crying.

"Don't listen to what other people say, they are cruel people who are trying to bring you down, you are nothing like Agatha" Esmerelda told her sister truthfully believing that.

"But I am always being mean to people" Ethel replied as she wiped her cheek as tears fell.

"That does not make you like Agatha, Agatha Cackle cares about no-one but herself, she has no care or thought for her sister's happiness or health and enjoys watching her physically suffer, Agatha never feels guilty or sorry for what she did and she lives for her horrid tricks and causing people pain, and yes you misbehave but there is misbehaving and playing silly childish pranks and misbehaving and trying to destroy a building that has hundreds of children in that could get trapped just because she didn't get her own way, you are nothing like Agatha and do you know the main reason I know that?" Esmerelda asked her little sister.

Ethel shook her head not knowing the answer to the question.

"I knew because I could sense how guilty and upset you were about Gullet turning me into a trophy, and because you rescued me not stopping to think about the risk to your own life and that Ethel is what makes you different from Agatha, you have the ability to love and care for other people over yourself something she would never have, if Ada had been trapped, Agatha would not have risked her precious life to save her and that is how I know you are nothing like that vile woman, and from what you told me Agatha was much worse than you were at school, she tried to take her mother's powers and take over the school...that just proves how evil she was even then" Esmerelda told her sister as she wrapped her other arm around her so she was hugging her.

Ethel smiled slightly feeling a little better and she wrapped her arms around her sister hugging her back before speaking.

* * *

"What are we going to do Esmie?" Ethel asked as she sniffed.

"I honestly don't know Esmie, but I am sure we will figure it out somehow" Esmerelda told her gently.

"You know there probably is some information somewhere out there, maybe we are looking in the wrong place" Ethel replied logically knowing there must be a book somewhere that they hadn't looked at.

"There probably is but it is probably in the restricted section, we will never get in there without being caught and you know how strict they are about allowing students in there, I have only being in there once and that was because an essay required a book in there but HB stood guard letting us in one by one then, we have no chance of getting near that section" Esmerelda told her sister as she stroked her hair.

Ethel was only half listening. The restricted section. Of course it hadn't even of crossed her mind, she had to get in there one way or another even if it meant breaking in. No-one would listen so it was up to Ethel.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

That night Ethel waited until midnight, knowing by that time everyone including the teachers, will be asleep. Ethel stood up taking a torch as she sneaked out her bedroom and down the corridor.

Ethel knew she should really be laying low. After her actions last year she was on a last warning but she had to help her sister out of the mess she had created so she was going into the restricted section, Ethel knew that if she was caught it meant expulsion instantly but she had to try.

Ethel gasped halfway down the corridor as she saw Mildred Hubble leaving her bedroom and quickly hid behind the wall as she watched her. Luckily,Mildred walked into the toilets and Ethel released the breathe she had been holding in relief. That was a really close call and the girl rushed past the corridor before Mildred left the toilets to go back in her bedroom.

Ethel walked down two flights of stairs quietly until she was on the bottom floor where the classrooms and library was. The girl walked quickly to the library and walked in, only turning her torch on when she was safely in the room.

The restricted section of the library was to a door on her right and Ethel walked over to it and tried to open it discovering it was locked. The girl sighed to herself telling herself she should have known that the door would not be left unlocked but then the girl smiled thankful her sister was that much older.

Ethel knew an lot more magic than other witches her age, many thought this was simply because she was a Hallow and the family was very powerful but in fact they were wrong. Ethel knew most of the more advanced spells that she did because her sister had taught her, there two older girls used to read books and study and practise spells together and Esmie used to tutor her sister trying to teach her everything she knew, this was also why Ethel was such a fantastic flyer. Most witches her age were good flyers but Ethel was pretty much flawless in this department thanks to all the times her and Esmerelda had gone flying together, Esmie showing her tricks and skills that she had learned in school, mostly everything Ethel knew was thanks to her big sister.

* * *

Esmerelda's guidance was about to come in handy, whilst most witches Ethel's age knew basic unlocking spells, Ethel knew much more advanced ones some which were known never to fail at opening an door.

Ethel pointed her fingers at the door muttering a quick spell and then tried the handle. It didn't budge. Ethel was not surprised, she knew the teachers would make it as difficult to open as possible. Ethel then tried the strongest unlocking spell she knew and smiled as she heard the door unclick, pushing on the handle she was happy to find the door open.

Ethel coughed a little bit as she walked in the room as it was very dusty, clearly the room was not used very often because there was dust everywhere. The girl looked over and saw bookshelves with dusty looking books on and rushed over to them shining her torch on the books trying to find a title that stood out to her.

Ethel realised in that moment why these books were in the restricted section as some of the titles sounded really dangerous and really dark especially in the wrong hands. The girl tries to ignore the bad feeling she got as she looked at the titles of the books. She looked through all the titles until finally one caught her eye.

Ethel reached up to the top shelf where the book was and pulled the book down looking at it for the first time.

The book was a bulky heavy book which was covered in dust which Ethel wiped away with her hand and the title of the book was "Losing Magical Powers", Ethel started flicking through the book looking for information about the problem her sister was experiencing when she suddenly heard a sound like footsteps.

For the second time that night Ethel gasped and picked up the book and the torch before she rushed out of the restricted section and closed the door uttering a quick locking spell. She then ran to the door of the library and looked around and seeing the coast was clear she started to rush out the door only then hearing voices.

"Come on Hecate I need to check that book" Ada said to her deputy as they walked down the corridor. Ethel tried not to gasp as she realised the two women were going in the library. Ethel ran across the corridor into the storeroom across from the library and stood behind the door breathing heavily. This situation was now really dangerous if HB and Cackle were about.

After a few minutes, Ethel opened the door a little and hearing no sounds she walked out the room and made her way to the stairs. Once she was up the stairs of her corridor she ran into the room and closed her door knowing how close she had come to getting caught. It was only then the girl realised how tired she now was so she put the book in her drawer and got into bed falling asleep quickly.

* * *

The next day was a Saturday and Esmie was tying her belt around her waist, finishing off putting on her uniform, because students still had to wear uniforms on the weekends when her door suddenly opened and Ethel ran in still in her pyjamas.

Esmerelda did not even bat an eyelid at this. She was more than used to her sisters running in and out of her bedroom all the time, it was not unusual to her at all.

"Morning Ethie" Esmerelda beamed seeing her little sister.

"Morning, guess what?" Ethel said as her sister turned away from the mirror and joined her on the bed.

"What?" Esmie asked curiously.

"Look what I found!" Ethel told her sister pushing the book she had found into her sisters face. Esmerelda looked at the title and flicked through a few pages quickly confused.

"I have never seen this book in the library before" Esmie commented. The girl after all, along with Ethel,probably knew the contents of the school library better than anyone.

"Well that would be because...it is from the restricted section" Ethel admitted to her sister where she had got it, Esmerelda's eyes widened at that.

"Ethie, are you trying to get yourself expelled?" Esmie asked her sister.

"We had no choice Esmie!" Ethel replied in response. "Plus I was careful" Ethel replied.

"Ethie books in the restricted section are there for a reason...this book could be really dangerous" Esmie replied worried about the books contents.

"I know, that book is about how to steal powers from someone by force, no wonder it was there, but I think it is safe" Ethel replied having thought through the dangers already.

Esmie sighed and shook her head wanting to stay mad at her sister, then the younger girl looked at her and she couldn't stay mad at her a second more. She could curse her sister for knowing the right way to look at her so she did not get told off.

"Alright but promise me you will never go in there again, it is really dangerous you could get hurt" Esmie said to her sister worried about her safety.

"I promise" Ethel said smiling at her sister.

Esmerelda smiled happy her sister had agreed no to go to that section again.

"But look I found something!" Ethel said grabbing the book and flicking through it until she found the page she was after. Esmerelda stared at the book but fell quiet to listen. Ethel read aloud.

 _Witches might sometimes find themselves in a situation where_

 _they lose their powers to someone, whether or not this is by force or_

 _not does not change the outcome._

 _Although it is rare because an witch who loses her powers normally_

 _does not get them returned to her, if the powers are returned to her_

 _she might realise that they are not as strong, cutting out, or not working_

 _quite right._

 _This is for a simple reason. The person who had the witches powers_

 _must have been left with a tiny part of the witches powers. It is not something_

 _the person who had taken the powers would be aware of, or the person who lost their_

 _powers but having a little part of their magic missing means they will never work to their_

 _full potential._

 _In order for a Witches power to return to normal she has to get the part of her missing_

 _magic back, in order to do this she must..._

* * *

"She must what?" Esmerelda asked desperate to know the answer.

As it had been so late last night and she had come straight to Esmie's room without even getting dressed Ethel had not had a chance to read the part she was reading in it's entirety so that was when she realised the problem.

"No!" Ethel said in response "Look the next page is missing" Ethel told her sister as Esmie looked closer and saw that a page had clearly being ripped out.

"Why would someone take the page?" Esmie asked afraid to know the answer.

"I don't know" Ethel replied with a sigh annoyed her risk of going to the restricted section had been for nothing "Sorry Esmie I really tried" Ethel told her sister.

"I know thank you Ethie" Esmerelda replied trying to hide her disappointment. She really thought this time they had found the information. "But we did find something, we now know why my powers are playing up" the older girl replied trying to reassure her sister she should not feel bad about it.

"Yes because Agatha still has a part of your powers" Ethel replied closing the book "This book...it can't be the only copy can it? There must be a copy in a library or bookshop somewhere" Ethel commented.

Esmerelda fell silent thinking about what her sister had said.

"Very good point" the elder blonde replied. "Though we can't possibly look through all of them...can we?" Esmie asked not understanding how it would be possible.

Ethel knew what her sister was getting at, they went to a boarding school they couldn't exactly decide to go on a weekend shopping spree, it didn't work like that.

"Wait a second the 25th is next week isn't it?" Ethel replied as she remembered the date for next Saturday.

"Yes which means..." Esmerelda replied as she came to the realisation.

"It means Esmie we have the perfect opportunity" Ethel replied unable to keep the smile of her face.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The next Saturday was shopping day. This was a day once a month when pupils at Cackles Academy are given permission to go shopping for anything they might need...new books, new equipment, new shoes, anything they needed whilst they were at school. Sybil told her sisters she needed nothing and was going to stay at the school with some friends, Esmerelda and Ethel nodded and walked arm in arm with the other pupils who were going to the shops. HB was mentoring them and both the sisters still found it amusing to see Hardbroom shopping.

"Meet back here by three, any latecomers will get detention for a week, if you need anything I will be right here, and stay in your groups!" HB told them as people rushed off to the shops. Most students did not even need anything they just wanted to go shopping by themselves and get away from school for a while.

"Right we don't have that much time if we need to check all the bookshops we best get going" Esmerelda told her sister and the two girls walked around the busy town talking amongst themselves with their arms linked, Esmie was so happy Ethel was allowing them to link arms, she had not allowed them to in a long time.

"Let's check the library first" Ethel suggested as they were walking past. Esmerelda nodded and the two girls walked in. The problem is they could not just ask for the book at the counter as it was a restricted one, the two girls had trouble even getting to the right section, they had to tread carefully until the librarians were not looking and sneaked over.

The two girls quickly ran their fingers down the spines of the books looking for a copy of 'Losing Magical Powers' but found nothing.

"Ethie look, they have one of them new stock checker touch screen monitor thingies that the non magical people use" Esmerelda commented as she caught sight of the weird looking monitor.

"Well it would be helpful if we knew how you use them things" Ethel replied not seeing how it would be helpful to them. For once in her life Ethel wished Mildred was here, she after all grew up 'normal' and knew about technology.

"They don't have a copy here anyway" Esmerelda replied as she finished checking the section for all the restricted books.

"Come on let's go" Ethel replied with a sigh leaving the library with her sister...well nearly leaving, Esmerelda and Ethel being Esmerelda and Ethel both saw a book on the way out and rushed over to it excited about finding a book they had never read. They both took a book out before finally leaving.

* * *

Esmerelda and Ethel spent the rest of the day looking for the book they needed, but the problem was the girls wasted so much time because they would find a different book and not be able to put it down.

"This book sounds amazing, I am twenty pence short can I borrow it? I will pay you back" Ethel told her sister with a smile as she held a book in a local bookshop.

Esmerelda turned to look at her sister and smiled trying to remember a time Ethel had actually paid her back. She could not think of one incident.

"Oh really? If my calculations are correct with all the money you have yet to pay me back you probably owe me way over a thousand pounds!" Esmerelda replied.

"But Esmie...this book...I need it" Ethel replied looking at the book in awe.

"Begging is not attractive you know" Esmie replied messing with her sister.

"Please Esmie...pretty please for little Ethie" Ethel said looking at her sister intently, basically staring the girl down knowing full well that she would eventually give in.

Esmerelda tried to not give in but the girl was just to good, she knew exactly what to do to get her sister to do what she wanted.

"You are lucky you are cute and I love you" Esmerelda said. Esmerelda was buying a book as well and took her sisters going towards the counter without taking any money of Ethel. Somehow the girl had known she would end up buying her sister's as well. Ethel smirked happy she had gotten her way.

"Esmie have I ever told you you are my favourite big sister?" Ethel said as she went to stand in line with her sister.

"That would be because I am your only big sister" Esmerelda replied with a laugh.

* * *

The two girls searched every bookshop in town looking for a copy of "Losing Magical Powers" but nowhere seemed to have it and if they did have it they were not able to find it.

"How rare is this book?" Ethel asked complaining

"Books in the school library have been there for years, who knows how old the book is" Esmerelda replied logically knowing the book could be centuries old even.

The two girls walked on when it started to rain and Ethel cast a spell to stop them getting wet, Esmerelda not wanting to risk casting it as she had no idea what would happen but then it started to thunder Ethel hated thunder when she was inside so being out in it was ten times worse she ran for the nearest building Esmerelda behind her not wanting to lose her.

Ethel run into the door of the shop and looked around realising it was some sort of antique shop just as Esmie ran in behind her.

"Are you alright?" Esmie asked her sister worried knowing how much she hated thunder.

"Yes I am fine" Ethel replied breathing a little heavier than normal from running. "I have never been in this place before" Ethel commented as she looked around.

"Yes well antiques are not really our thing" Esmerelda commented but Ethel was not listening as she had noticed the book section.

"Look how old these books are" Ethel commented seeing the state the books were in.

"Something is older than you?" It can't be" Esmerelda replied with a chuckle as her sister thumped her in the ribs.

"I am kidding" Esmie replied as she joined her sister to look at the books.

"HB is going to kill us when she realised we came here to buy books and nothing else" Esmerelda commented as she put down the books she was carrying to look at the ones on the shelf only then noticing.

"Ethie...Ethie come here!" Esmerelda said in amazement to her sister on the other side of the bookshelf. Ethel walked up to her sister.

"They have it" Esmerelda commented pointing to the title "Losing Magical Powers' they had searched the whole town and found it in the most unlikely place.

"Yes finally!" Ethie commented before she noticed a problem.

"They probably won't sell it to us as we are under eighteen" Ethel commented knowing how strict the rules were, Esmerelda sighed knowing Ethel was right, she hadn't thought this far ahead but then when she looked at the counter she noticed the salesman was about her age, she doubted he knew that the book was for older pupils and if he did Esmerelda had a plan for that.

"Follow me" Esmerelda told Ethel who followed her sister as she picked up the book walking to the counter.

"Hi there" Esmerelda said to the young boy who looked up at the blonde. He was quite cute, dark hair and dark eyes.

"Hi" he replied as he looked down smiling

"I want to buy this book please" Esmerelda told him putting it on the counter. Unfortunately the boy knew more than the girls had anticipated because as soon as she put it on the table he asked.

"Can I see some ID please?" he said to the girl. It was not like she could even pretend to be eighteen as she was in uniform.

Many people would never of thought Esmerelda would be a good actress, most people would probably say it was the thing she would be the worse at but the girl was very smart and could make herself cry so that is what she did.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked suddenly concerned.

"Not really, I need this book very badly you see my little sister here" Esmerelda said gesturing to Ethel "A mean bad witch took her powers from her and I fought the witch getting her powers back for her but they aren't working properly" Esmerelda lied to the boy wanting the book.

"Oh no I am sorry to hear that" the boy replied seeming genuinely concerned.

"So please sell me the book, my sister is only a baby and she is really upset about her powers" Esmerelda said as the boy changed his line of vision to look at Ethel who tried her best to pull a face that made her look upset.

"Isn't she like twelve...not really a baby" the boy commented.

"She is to me...now are you going to let a poor little girl lose her powers completely when the answer to what we need is in that book?" Esmerelda replied guilt tripping him. He looked at the two sisters and sighed.

"Alright...but don't say where you got it, my parents own this place if they find out..." the boy commented.

"Thank you...how much is it?" Esmie asked the boy.

"Oh just take it please, I want your sister to get her powers back" the boy replied kindly.

"You...you are very kind" Esmerelda replied picking the book up and leaving with her sister forgetting about the thunder. The second they got outside Ethel gave her sister a look.

"I never knew you could fool someone like that" Ethel told her sister amazed.

"I am a Hallow it is in my blood, now come on let's go before it decides to snow" Esmerelda told her sister as they girls rushed to meet HB happy they had gotten the thing they needed so badly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ethel and Esmerelda did not have time to look at the book that night so the next day they got up early and sat in Ethel's room prepared to find out how to help Esmerelda. Ethel grabbed the book they had got last night and flicked through it landing on the page they needed. Ethel started to read the information out loud.

 _In order for a Witches power to return to normal she has to get the part_

 _of her missing magic back, in order to do this she must..."_

Ethel read before going over the last line she had read and turning the page thankful to find the page intact.

 _She must make this potion listed below but the potion_

 _will only work if the witch has some DNA from_

 _the person who took her magic. This potion will_

 _force powers still in the person who took them back_

 _to the original owner._

* * *

"Oh great so we have to somehow find some DNA of Agatha Cackle?" Esmie commented with a sigh knowing how difficult that was going to be.

Ethel understood the problem. Even if Agatha was not trapped in a painting with Gullet somehow finding a way to steal a hair of her or something would be incredibly difficult because no-one would be stupid enough to get that close to Agatha, but then Ethel thought of something and smiled.

"Why are you so happy?" "This is bad" Esmie told her sister not understanding why she was smiling.

"Because I just thought of something, Ada and Agatha are identical twins right?" Ethel asked her sister who narrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Well yes genetics wise anyway" Esmerelda replied not sure where her little sister was going with this.

"Well identical twins have the same DNA right...so what if we got DNA of Ada...it should have the same affect right?" Ethel asked her sister who thought it through and then smiled herself thinking it might just work.

"It will be much easier to find DNA from Ada but it will still be difficult so how do we go about it?"Esmerelda asked thinking of another problem. Ethel for the second time that morning smiled.

"I have a brilliant idea" the girl replied.

* * *

Later that day once Ethel had explained her plan to Esmerelda the girls told Sybil the truth, though they did lie and tell the girl Agatha had taken Esmie's powers by force so that Ethel was not shunned by her parents. They had to tell the youngest though first of all she was suspicious and secondly she was the one who had to help them with their plan.

The three sisters stood behind a wall spying and waiting for the right moment, it was common knowledge Ada always went into the staffroom at around twelve, when it was near to twelve Esmerelda and Ethel signalled to Sybil who left her space from behind the wall and stood in the corridor outside the staffroom waiting. It was Esmerelda who saw the woman and Sybil who had being waiting for the signal from her sisters of a thumbs up started to cry.

Sybil had gotten used to school now and did not cry much anymore, but the girl still had her moments and it did not take much, all she had to do was think of her home and she would get upset so having to cry was not an issue. So the girl burst into tears sobbing into her hands. Ada of course rushed over straight away.

"Sybil, are you okay?" Ada asked concerned about the little first year.

"I miss my parents" Sybil said crying more as she responded to her teachers question.

Ada was sometimes to kind for her own good and she knew the girl was struggling to settle so she put her arm around the small girl.

"You will see them soon dear, and you can mirror them tomorrow" Ada told the young girl trying to reassure her.

"I know but I just miss being at home" the girl replied sadly as Ada hugged the girl more really concerned about her.

"You have your sisters in the school, why don't you go and find them and see if they can make you feel better?" Ada suggested knowing it would help the girl and they would do a better job of it than she would.

Just then Esmerelda and Ethel rounded the corridor laughing which was all part of the plan but stopped when they saw their sister crying.

"Sybs are you okay?" Ethel asked looking at her younger sister concerned. Ada smiled seeing the older two sisters.

"Sybil is a little bit homesick" Ada told the older two girls to reassure them.

"Oh dear" Esmie said stroking the younger girl's hair "It is alright Sybil you will see mum and dad soon" Esmerelda told her sister kindly.

"Yes" Ethel said going to stand next to her sisters "And I will tell you what I will let you have my mirror slot so you can speak to mum for twice as long" Ethel said kindly.

"Really?" Sybil asked genuinely surprised as that had not been part of the plan. The girl looked up wiping her eyes happily.

"Of course I don't mind" Ethel told her sister

"You can have my slot too, triple time" Esmerelda told Sybil who beamed happily. Ada looked at the three sisters smiling.

"That is very nice of you both to do that for your sister, am I alright leaving you with Esmerelda and Ethel now?" Ada asked seeing the girl looking happy. Sybil nodded happily and Ada tapped the girls shoulder and then walked away beaming at her three students. When she was gone Sybil jumped up and down.

"Can I really have your mirror slots?" the girl asked her sisters not sure if they said that as part of the plan or not.

Esmerelda actually found talking to her mother tiring, she always went on and on and on for hours and Esmie always felt awkward...she really hated talking about herself so much, Ethel was not really bothered because her conversations with her mother were about ten seconds at most so she was happy to let her mother talk to someone she actually liked instead.

"Sure I don't mind" Esmerelda told her sister

"Me either" Ethel replied as Sybil jumped up and down with happiness.

"Sybs...did you get the hair?" Ethel asked interrupting the girl's happy dance.

"Oh yes I almost forgot about that" Sybil said putting her hand out showing a few strands of hair in her hand. "I managed to touch her hair for a second as she was comforting me" Sybil admitted proudly.

Esmerelda smiled taking the hairs and putting them in a test tube so they wouldn't get lost.

"I would help you make the potion but I am not very good at potions" Sybil told her sisters honestly.

"That is okay Sybil, thank you for all the help" Esmie told her sister hugging her.

* * *

"You three!" Someone shouted causing the girls to jump. They turned around and saw HB looking at them.

"What are you all doing hanging around outside the staffroom?" Hecate asked with a glare to the pupils.

"Nothing miss we were just..." Ethel started to say.

"Just what?" Hecate asked the girls.

"We were just talking to Miss Cackle miss as Sybil was upset so we were just about to go" Esmerelda told the teacher trustfully.

The teacher continued to glare at them and the three girls ran off before she could give them detention. Sybil saw a friend and skipped of to join her as Ethel started to talk.

"When are we going to make the potion?" Ethel asked her sister trying to think of a time that would be suitable.

"Meet me in my room tonight...we can start it then" Esmerelda replied thinking that would be the best time to make the potion and now that they had the hair of Ada all they had to do was make the potion which for Esmerelda and Ethel should be the easy part.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

That night Ethel sneaked down the corridors to her sisters room two floors above hers. Esmerelda was already awake and in a dressing gown when her sister walked through the door. The elder sister smiled at her little sister.

"Were the corridors free?" Esmerelda asked her sister a bit quieter than normal as she knew HB seemed to have hearing like a hawk and they did not want to get caught.

"Yes, not a sign of anyone being awake" Ethel replied reassuring her sister who had already started preparing the ingredients foe the potion.

"Ethie come and cut up this bindroot" Esmerelda told her sister knowing this potion will go much quicker with two of them working on it. Ethel nodded and went to stand at the other side of her sister and then looked at the book seeing how much of the ingredient she needed and started to cut it up neatly.

As Ethel worked on the bindroot, Esmerelda started pouring other ingredients into the potion taking a lot of care to make sure she did it right. Neither girl spoke both lost in concentration as they prepared the potion.

Ethel finished cutting the ingredient and weighed it and seeing it was the right amount she put it in the potion before hearing her sister talk.

"Oh no, we don't have enough palmweed, I forgot to bring some up from the potions lab" Esmerelda told her sister worried because they needed that ingredient.

"I have some in my room, I will go get it" Ethel told her sister preparing to leave.

"No I will...I will get in less trouble if I am caught" Esmie told her sister sneaking out of her room.

"Alright I will carry on with the potion" Ethel replied reading the book as Esmie sneaked out the bedroom.

* * *

Esmerelda sneaked out of her room and walked down the two flights of stairs quietly before walking into her little sister's room. Thankfully, the girl knew her sister's room just as well as her own room as she went in there so much so she knew where the ingredient was and walked to the cupboard to get it, she picked up a handful of the plant and then turned to walk out the door which she did successfully but then she heard footsteps and turned around preparing to be met by the ferocious eyes of Miss Hardbroom but instead she was met by the yellow eyes of her sister's cat, Nightstar.

Nightstar was not the most friendly of cats around other people but her mistress, much like her owner she took to blanking others and ignoring what they said, but Esmerelda and Sybil were exceptions, as the cat had lived in the same house as the two girls all summer she had grown fond of the other two sisters so when Nightstar saw her friend leaving the room she followed her and rubbed against her legs purring.

"Nightstar, not now" Esmerelda said worried the purring was going to alert someone to her presence.

The cat looked at the elder girl closing her eyes as she pushed into her legs more so Esmerelda bent down and stroked the cat who closed her eyes purring louder.

Esmerelda decided it would be best to take the cat with her so she picked up the cat and slowly made her way back to her own bedroom.

The girl walked back into her room and Ethel looked up before narrowing her eyes confused.

* * *

"Why did you bring Nightstar?" Ethel whispered as she saw her cat in her sisters arms.

"She followed me out of your room and was purring I thought it was best to bring her here before she woke the whole castle" Esmerelda said gently putting the cat on her bed who touched noses with the Esmerelda's cat, Rowena ,before they both lay down to sleep.

"Did you get it?" Ethel asked about the palmsweed

"Yes here you go" Esmie said taking it out the pocket of her dressing gown and giving it to Ethel who put it in the potion.

Ethel mixed it three times with a glass stirrer and then took it out looking at her sister.

"It is done Esmie" Ethel told her sister who smiled happily.

Ethel poured some of the potion from the cauldron into a beaker and gave it to Esmie.

"Now you just add the hairs" Ethel told her sister who took the hairs out of the test tube she had stored them in and poured them in the potion, Esmie looked at the green potion disgusted but then drank it quickly.

Both of the sisters waited to see a sign that the potion had worked and Esmerelda's powers were back to normal but after a few seconds they saw no sign anything had changed.

"Try to cast a spell" Ethel suggested wanting to see if her magic was working properly.

Esmerelda pointed her fingers at her bookshelf wanting a book to levitate but instead ten or twelve books flew of the shelf onto the floor causing both girls to jump and both the cats on the bed that were asleep to wake up and hiss angrily.

"Well it didn't work" Ethel commented as she looked at the mess of books on the floor.

"Are you sure you made this potion right?" Esmeralda asked double looking over the method to make the potion.

"I triple checked everything" Ethel replied flicking through the pages annoyed. "It was the right colour and everything" Ethel told her sister.

"Maybe it is because we used Ada's hair and not Agatha's" Esmie commented thinking that was the most logical solution.

"But they are twins, it shouldn't matter which one of their hair it is" Ethel commented smartly.

Esmerelda picked up the book and found the page saying what was meant to happen when she had drank the potion.

* * *

After the drinker had drank the potion a blue

light should eliminate them for a few seconds which

means that the potion was successful and the witch should have

her full powers back again, if this does not happen it means

the potion was either made wrong or the DNA was not from the right

person.

"Well the potion was right so it is not that" Ethel commented.

"Ethie look at this" Esmerelda commented noticing some tiny writing at the bottom of the section she had just read.

Please bear in mind the DNA must come from the person

who took the magic, even if the person has a twin

it will not work because they did not take the magic.

* * *

"Oh great now they tell us" Ethel complained annoyed.

"We should have known" Esmerelda replied with a sigh.

"Or they could have told us that BEFORE we made the potion" Ethel replied still annoyed at how they had been given that information.

"Yes well luckily we have plenty of potion left the only problem is where the hell will we find Agatha's DNA?" Esmerelda asked her younger sister as she was at a loss at what to do.

"Esmie...I have such a crazy idea...but it is the only thing I can think off" Ethel told her sister honestly.

"What is the idea?" Esmie asked curiously.

"We break into Ada's office" Ethel commented as her sister stared at her sister in shock.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Esmerelda could not believe she had let Ethel talk her into searching through Ada Cackle's office, but Ethel made a good point...what choice did they have? The next night the two sisters sneaked down to the office just like they had last year when all the trouble with Agatha started.

"Explain again why we are doing this?" Esmie asked her little sister worriedly.

"Because Esmie we need to find something from Agatha...they shared the school for a while right? And Ada and Agatha are sisters, half the stuff in your room is mine or Sybil's and half the stuff in my room is yours or Sybil's. Sisters always have something in their room that is actually not theirs" Ethel replied knowingly.

"But that is us, I doubt Agatha Cackle decided to leave her stuff with Ada...she would have taken everything with her" Esmie replied with a sigh.

"Maybe she missed something...come on we have to try" Ethel told her sister as she started looking through Ada's desk for anything that could actually be Agatha's. Esmie bit her lip hating to break the rules but then joined her sister in looking through the drawers.

The two girls searched for ages and found some interesting items. Ethel found a old black and white photo of Ada and Agatha when they were little girls, Ethel of course recognised the girls from when she had seen them in the mists of time, Esmerelda found what looked like a family portrait of the girls with their parents and even what looked to be like a broken locket which was nearly completely destroyed, but the girls found nothing they could use for the potion and the problem was the girls assumed some of the stuff they found might be Agatha's but they had no way of knowing exactly what was hers.

Esmerelda was looking through another drawer after covering her mouth to yawn when she heard something.

"Ethie...did you hear that?" Esmerelda asked her sister in a worried way.

"Hear what?" the younger blonde asked before she heard it too.

"Footsteps..." Esmerelda said really concerned.

Just then the handle of the office suddenly turned and Ethel gasped causing Esmerelda to cover her mouth with her hand and telling her to be quiet trying to find a place to hide as the door opened.

The two girls were hidden inside the wardrobe and opened one of the doors just a smidge to see who it was.

The two girls saw their headmistress walk into her office and look around and both sisters hoped there was nothing out of place. The older witch appeared to be looking for something as she opened a few drawers of her desk before she picked something up and closed the drawer again.

The woman then started to make her way to the door but the wardrobe the sisters were in was very dusty and Esmerelda sneezed causing the lady to stop suspiciously, Esmie and Ethel had a silent conversation in the wardrobe both panicking.

After a few seconds of Ada hearing nothing the woman thought she must of being hearing things and carried on her way leaving and closing the door behind her. The girls waited a while longer to make sure she had gone before stepping out the wardrobe.

* * *

"That was way to close" Esmerelda commented as she put her hands out to help her sister out the wardrobe.

"I can't believe she has nothing in here" Ethel commented annoyed and surprised the woman had not kept anything from Agatha.

"Oh well we will have to think of something else, come on" Esmerelda said heading for the door.

"Oh no" the older blonde said pulling on the handle "She locked it" Esmie commented in a panic.

"Let me try" Ethel said pulling and tugging on the door as much as she could but it wouldn't budge and the problem was the lock of the door was on the outside so they could not even do a spell to unlock it.

"Now what?" Ethel asked turning to look at her sister for help, panic evident in her blue eyes.

"I have a idea" Esmie replied taking her sister's hand and walking to the window opening it.

"We are on the second floor, we can't jump out" Ethel commented.

"I am not going to jump out you doughnut, we have being learning summoning spells" the girl said saying a spell but of course the girls powers decided not to work.

"Come on you stupid powers, it would be helpful for you to work right now" the girl said annoyed.

After a few moments the spell worked and the broomstick arrived, Esmerelda sat on it slowly and helped Ethel on behind her and started to fly gently up towards her window squinting to see in the darkness, Ethel held onto her waist for dear life. Only out of nowhere the broomstick started to go downwards.

"What is going on?" Ethel asked feeling the descent of the broomstick sharply.

Esmerelda flicked her hand realising her powers were gone again and it is impossible to fly a broomstick without magic, if someone has no magic the broomstick can't get of the ground.

The girls went lower and lower falling fast from very high up both knowing they were about to crash so Ethel the only one with powers had to think fast.

"Esmie switch places with me" Ethel told her sister seeing the ground in sight.

"I can't we don't have time" Esmie replied.

Ethel leaped into action and practically climbed over her sister nearly sending her flying over the edge of the broom.

"Ethie!" the girl said only just managing to grab her younger sister around the waist. Ethel grabbed onto the broomstick and saw they were just about to hit the ground so made a really sharp turn and missed it by seconds before she started to fly higher again.

"That was our second close call tonight" Ethel commented panting out of breathe and hearing her sister doing the same.

"You saved us" Esmie commented with a smile hugging her sister more as she flew.

"I do have some uses" Ethel said floating high up and gracefully into her sister's bedroom window and finally safely getting of the broomstick and hugging her sister in relief.

"That is the second time you have saved my life" Esmerelda told her sister with a smile kissing her cheek.

"Yes well, you seem to always find yourself in a situation where I need to do it" Ethel replied smiling and hugging her sister before yawning.

"Right come on you best go to bed" Esmerelda told her sister stifling a yawn herself.

"But what are we going to do about Agatha?" Ethel asked worried.

"Let's think about it tomorrow when we both have slept" Esmie replied as Ethel nodded and left to go back to her own room.

"Night" Ethel said sneaking back into her own bedroom and falling asleep straight away.

* * *

The next morning Esmerelda and Ethel spoke to each other about what they were going to do but neither of them could think of anything to do, Agatha was locked in the picture with Gullet there was nothing they could do unless they told the teachers what was happening. Ethel sighed but agreed not having much time to talk to her sister having to go off to her lessons.

It was only when Ethel was walking towards the library alone an idea came into her head, such a crazy and dangerous idea but she was willing to risk it but she could not tell Esmie, Esmerelda would never agree to it anyway.

Ethel waited until nightfall and this time sneaked down to Ada's office by herself. Her plan was to get Agatha out the photo long enough to get a hair and then put her back in the painting. It was such a risky idea she was not even sure she would be able to get the woman back in the paiting but she had to try.

Ethel lifted the painting of the wall and looked at it as she became afraid of seeing Agatha and Gullet again, it was only then she realised she didn't even know how to get the woman out of the painting, it was really advanced magic even for the likes of Ethel Hallow. Ethel knew it was hopeless and stood on her tiptoes to put the painting back as the door opened.

"ETHEL HALLOW WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?" Miss Hardbroom said and Ethel just looked at the woman holding the painting her her hand knowing this time she was not going to be able to talk herself out of it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Ethel was taken by Hecate to Miss Cackle's office and the young blonde played with her hands nervously trying to think of a way to talk herself out of this one. She really was stuck this time. Ethel walked into the office hanging her head as Hecate started to speak.

"Miss Cackle, I found Ethel trying to take Agatha's painting" Hecate told her superior. Ada who had been casually sitting behind her desk doing paperwork gasped and looked up.

"Ethel!" Ada said not able to think of anything else to say.

"I am sorry Miss Cackle" Ethel replied not able to keep her hands still.

"Sorry!?" Hecate said in disbelief the girl had said that.

"After last years fiasco when your sister was nearly crushed to death in the castle I thought you would have had more common sense" Ada replied harshly. She could not believe the girl was still trying to help Agatha.

"I do miss...it is not what it looks like" Ethel told her teacher desperately needing them to believe her.

"It is never what it looks like when it comes to you, is it?" Hecate sneered at the girl fed up of her stupid excuses whenever she got caught doing something.

"Please let me explain" Ethel replied feeling her eyes becoming wet as she grew more anxious.

"No, I know what I saw!" Hecate shouted not wanting to give the girl a chance. Ada raised her hand to stop Hecate speaking and after she fell silent the headteacher spoke.

"You may explain Ethel" Ada told her student thinking it was only fair she had a chance to explain herself.

Ethel nodded and wondered what to tell her teachers. She wanted to tell them about Esmie's powers but she doubted the two women would even believe her but for once Ethel knew she had to tell the truth.

"I had to help Esmie" Ethel simply started to say.

"How on earth do you think bringing Agatha Cackle back will help your sister?" Hecate asked really beginning to lose her patience now.

"Esmie's powers are not working properly...since she got them back of Agatha they have been cutting out and doing the opposite to what she wants them to do, Esmie and I found a book that explained it was happening because Agatha still had a bit of her powers so we have been making a potion to get that part of her powers back, only the potion needed a part of DNA, we tried to use yours miss" Ethel admitted glancing up for a second at Ada before looking back at her hands. "But it didn't work, it had to be Agatha's so I was going to take the painting to release Agatha, get the DNA and return her to the painting but then I realised I had no idea how to do it so I was putting it back and that is when you caught me Miss Hardbroom" Ethel finished her explantation still not looking up but staring at her hands.

The problem was Ethel had spent her entire first year at Cackles lying, she could lie easily without giving herself away and the story was quite unbelievable as well so Miss Hardbroom and Miss Cackle did not buy it.

"Ethel I want you to tell me the truth" Miss Cackle replied raising her voice slightly. She did not believe the girl especially because she did not believe the girl would help her sister.

"It is the truth miss, I know it sounds unbelievable but it is the truth" Ethel replied quietly.

Hecate started to speak at that moment but she was interrupted by the door banging open and a out of breathe Esmerelda running in, the girl had heard from Felicity, who had seen Ethel being led to the office, that Ethel was in trouble and the girl had just ran from the other end of the school to reach the office before she could get punished.

* * *

"Esmerelda! How dare you come in here without knocking!" Hecate yelled not liking the girls behaviour.

"I had to.." Esmie panted as she went and stood next to her sister "Don't punish Ethel" Esmerelda told the teachers hugging her little sister to prove her point.

"Esmerelda Hallow your sister was caught trying to release Agatha Cackle into the school" Ada replied suprised the girl was sticking up for her sister this time.

"W...what?" Esmerelda replied shocked. Felicity had not known what Ethel had done so it was coming as a shock.

"Yes I caught her red-handed" Miss Hardbroom replied folding her arms.

Esmerelda looked at Ethel who could barely look at her because Ethel literally felt like she was about to burst into tears and looking at Esmerelda would cause her to break down, Esmerelda did not see much of her sister's face but she could still sense Ethel was about to completely lose her composure.

"And not only that" Ada carried on ignoring the silent conversation the sisters were having "But then she feeds us this crazy story about how your powers don't work and she had no choice to release Agatha to help you" Ada finished using a tone of voice Esmerelda had never heard her use before, it was rivalling Hecate's it was that deadly.

"But it is the truth" Esmerelda told her teachers straight away. The girl was angry that her sister had thought to do something so stupid but it was after all true.

"Oh really?" "I know you want to stick up for your sister but this lie has gone to far!" Hecate shouted annoyed at the older girl for going along with the story.

"It is not a lie!" Esmerelda replied "My powers have not being right at all and Ethie has been helping me to get them back to normal" Esmerelda replied.

"Oh really?" "Prove it then, if this story is true show us what your powers are doing" Ada told her pupil. She would not believe Ethel until she had prove of what she was saying.

Esmerelda nodded and stepped away from her sister to perform a spell, the girl was not worried though, her powers would either fail all together or do the complete opposite of what they are supposed to do.

"Levitate that feather" Hecate demanded looking at her with angry eyes.

Esmerelda nodded and pointed her fingers at the feather but her smile dropped as for the first time in months her magic was working flawlessly. Ethel turned to look in amazement tears starting to roll down her face.

"That was just luck" Esmerelda told her teachers worried before repeating the spell which worked again.

"Esmerelda I am losing patience" Ada told her student annoyed.

"My powers are not working you have to believe me, look!" Esmie said sending spells flying around the office trying to wear her magic out so her powers will stop working but all her spells were working correctly.

"STOP" Ada shouted not wanting her office to be destroyed. Esmerelda put her head in her hands knowing what was coming.

"Ethel, not only did you try to release Agatha but you lied about it and got your sister to lie" Ada told the younger blonde her eyes blazing with anger. Esmerelda went back to hug her sister knowing exactly what was going to happen.

"I have had just about enough Ethel, you are putting the whole school in danger and I am going to do something I probably should have done much earlier, Ethel Hallow please pack your things and leave, you are expelled" Ada told her pupil dishing out her punishment.

Ethel had known as soon as she saw Esmie's magic working that she was going to be expelled and Esmerelda had also known when her magic worked that her sister was going to be expelled but that did not make Ethel's fate any easier for either girl.

Ethel and Esmerelda wrapped their arms around each other both crying silently into each other, they had grown much closer over the last few months because Ethel had stopped pushing her sister away so it was that much harder. Hecate and Ada watched the girls for a few moments until they figured they had given them long enough.

"Ethel it is time to go and pack now" Hecate told her pupil but the two sisters just kept clinging to each other. Ada felt awful splitting the girls up, she had remembered how hard she had found it when Agatha was sent away but she had no choice but to separate them.

"Esmerelda...can you let your sister go and pack please" Ada told the older pupil but neither girl seemed to be making any effort to move and even though Ada didn't want to she thought it was best go make it as quick as possible so she nodded at Hecate who made Ethel's bags and her cat Nightstar, appear in the carrier but neither girl noticed.

Ada then walked around the back of her desk to start prying Esmerelda of Ethel.

"No please Miss" Esmerelda said struggling to get out of the woman's grip. Ada gave Hecate a look asking for help and Hecate raised her hand causing Esmerelda to be transferred away and before Ethel could so much as blink she lifted her hand again causing Ethel to disappear with her bags leaving Hecate and Ada to look at each other sadly.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Mr and Mrs Hallow were sitting at their dining table sorting through piles of paperwork when Ethel appeared out of thin air, this caused her mother to jump and knock a pile of papers onto the floor in the process.

"Ethel what are you doing?" Mrs Hallow asked clutching her chest trying to get over her shock.

Ethel turned away from her parents and headed for the stairs not even replying to her parents, she was not about to tell them she had just gotten expelled as she would never hear the end of it so the girl waited until she was in the safety of her bedroom before bursting into tears as she sat behind her door.

* * *

Esmerelda found herself landing outside the castle and realised she was outside with the rest of her year because she had a flying lesson next. Miss Drill seemed shocked to see the girl appear out of nowhere as after all it was not common for pupils to appear out of thin air only teachers and the teachers shock brought back what had happened to Esmerelda who felt tears streaming down her face and she pushed past her classmates heading towards the castle, the girl was famous for following the rules but the last thing she wanted to do right now was attend her lesson so she walked into the quiet castle.

The girl was heading for her bedroom when she heard running and glanced up seeing Mildred, Maud and Enid running down the corridor clearly late for their lesson and the older girl kept her head down not wanting to make eye contact with them, she didn't want them to notice that she was crying.

"Esmerelda please don't tell HB we are late, we are going to chanting now" Enid told the girl not wanting her to tell HB she had seen them. The three girls stopped running all out of breathe and holding onto each other.

"So are you going to tell Hardbroom or not?" Maud asked in between breathes wanting reassurance that they were safe.

"No...I ….I won't...I have to go s...sorry" the girl managed to choke out feeling like she was about to burst into tears at any moment and wanting to get away from the situation.

It was that moment the three girls looked at each and realised how unusual this situation was, why was Esmerelda even in a position to catch them late to lesson? Why was the girl not at lesson herself? True it was logically the girl could have a free lesson but all three friends knew that she didn't: Esmerelda and Ethel normally spoke to each other about their timetable each morning at breakfast especially if they were planning on meeting up so they could meet each other outside a classroom, and just this morning the two girls had spoke in depth about their lessons that day and Mildred remembered specifically that Esmerelda had flying right now as Esmerelda had made a joke to her sister that she would try not to fly near the chanting classroom window or she would fall of her broomstick with how bad the second years would be singing. Esmerelda was the last Cackles student to skip a lesson so it made no sense for her to be in the corridor.

"Are you not supposed to have flying now?" Mildred asked the older girl narrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"I won't tell on you to HB if you don't tell on me" Esmerelda replied basically confirming she was indeed skipping her lesson. The girl was really struggling to keep her voice normal though something all three girls noticed.

"Are you okay?" Enid asked concerned about the older girl, she was acting very strange.

Esmerelda let out a sob and shook her head as she remembered what had happened to her sister.

Maud and Enid both looked at Mildred really concerned. Esmerelda did not cry, well at least they had never seen her cry before, the girl was after all the one who was the comforter not the crier, what on earth had happened for the girl to be so upset?

"Do you want us to go find Ethel and Sybil for you?" Maud asked kindly touching the older girls elbow in a comforting way figuring if she was upset she would want to talk to her sisters about it not them.

At the mention of Ethel's name it made the girl worst and now she openly cried no longer caring that the second years could see her and hear her.

"Do you want to see Miss Cackle?" Mildred asked the older girl who shook her head and Mildred led her to the place where the second years normally spent their time under the stairs and the girl sat down in one of the armchairs.

* * *

"Enid go find Ethel just make a excuse to Bat so she can leave" Mildred whispered to her friend. She thought it was best Ethel was there as Mildred liked Esmerelda and was friendly with her but she was not exactly sure how she should go around comforting her.

"There is no point Ethel won't be there, she got expelled" Esmerelda replied getting right to the point, the three friends despite not liking Esmerelda's little sister still gawped and looked at each other confused.

"Why?" Maud asked stepping closer to the older girl.

"It is all my fault, she was on thin ice I should not have allowed her to help me, I am so stupid" Esmerelda replied putting her head in her hands, the girl was not only upset about losing Ethel she felt guilty, why had she let Ethel help her when the girl was on a last warning?

"You are not stupid" Mildred reassured the girl as the friends went and sat near her completely skipping of their lesson to comfort her.

"How was Ethel helping you?" Enid asked curiously but more quiet than normal feeling like the elder girl was about to tell her to mind her own business.

"Remember what happened last year with Agatha?" Esmerelda asked the girls as more tears fell down her face.

"How Ethel tricked you into giving your powers to her?" Maud asked to clarify.

"Yes that, well the thing is my powers were returned when her spell was broken but my powers have not being working properly since, Ethie was trying to help me get them back to normal but we needed some of Agatha's hair and she got caught trying to steal the picture of her and Gullet" Esmerelda told the friends giving a brief summary of what had happened.

All three friends looked at each other all wondering if Ethel had been actually helping Esmerelda or trying to trick her again but neither said anything, it was not the time.

"Maybe we can think of a way to get her back, they brought me back after my expulsion" Mildred pointed out trying to cheer Esmerelda up.

"But that is because you saved the school, unless Agatha returns and we get Ethel to save us I have no idea how that will help us" Esmerelda replied.

"Well you don't need to worry we will help you" Mildred replied with a smile.

"But you hate Ethel" Esmerelda replied suspiciously.

It was true Mildred, Maud and Enid were not keen on the girl but the word hate was such a strong word, they didn't hate her even if they were not exactly best friends and all of them realised something, Ethel might be messed up and a bully but no-one could deny she loved Cackles and if she was playing her sister along she would never have gone so far as to get herself expelled which meant her offer of help was genuine.

"Hate is a very very strong word" Maud replied

"Plus it is not fair she was expelled for actually being nice" Enid replied logically.

Esmerelda smiled slightly as she realised the girls were offering to help her.

"Well thank you but what exactly do we do?" Esmerelda asked not sure what she can do.

"Leave that to us because no offence you are the worst at being bad" Enid replied truthfully. Esmerelda had to smile slightly at that as she knew it was true, the girl who had now stopped cried stood up wiping her eyes before looking at the younger pupils.

"Thank you, let me know what I have to do, I am going to go and mirror Ethie and make sure she is okay" Esmerelda told the three friends as she walked of down the corridor leaving the three friends to plan a way to get Ethel back and feeling optimistic.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Esmerelda walked into the mirror room and sat down before holding up a card saying 'Ethel Hallow' on it so the mirror knew who she wanted to talk to and the mirror changed scenes to show Ethel's bedroom, luckily all three sisters had a mirror in their room.

"Ethie" Esmerelda said seeing her sister's head in her lap as she sat underneath her door. The elder blonde knocked on the mirror slightly which caught Ethel's attention and she stood up walking towards the mirror her eyes red from crying.

"Oh Ethie" Esmerelda said seeing the state her little sister was in.

"Have you told Sybil yet?" Ethel asked looking down at the ground as she spoke and Esmerelda shook her head.

"Not yet, I don't want to tell her until lessons are finished as anywise she will be crying during her lessons" Esmerelda replied logically knowing the youngest sister had Miss Hardbroom this afternoon and the women would not be happy if the girl was crying during her lesson.

"I didn't even tell mum and dad" Ethel replied sadly "I just ran up here as I didn't want them to shout at me" Ethel admitted to Esmerelda explaining why she had not told their mother and father what had happened.

"Probably wise for now" Esmerelda told her little sister "Listen Mildred, Maud and Enid are going to help me get you back to school" Esmerelda told her sister.

"Why them?" Ethel asked disgusted not wanting Mildred Hubble of all people to help her.

"Be nice" Esmerelda replied "And if you must know it is because I have no idea how to break the rules to change something" Esmerelda admitted and for the first time since she had gotten expelled Ethel looked up and smirked.

"Probably wise, you play bad so badly" Ethel told her sister as she laughed.

"Yes alright I know, we can't all be experts like someone I know" Esmerelda replied with a smile as she spoke to Ethel.

"Don't pretend not to love me, I might misbehave but you still can barely go twenty minutes without missing me" Ethel replied knowingly but it was true, Ethel might act up but Esmerelda absolutely loved being around her and if she was away from her for longer than twenty minutes the girl would run to her like a little kid who found out their mother had a sweet for them when she saw her.

"I suppose you are alright" Esmerelda replied in a mocking way as Ethel raised her eyebrows at her.

"Alright of course I love you even when you drive me absolutely insane!" Esmerelda replied as she laughed knowing it was so hard to stay mad at Ethel.

"I love you too, even if you are really soppy" Ethel replied with a laugh.

"Seriously how can I go through school without you?" Esmerelda asked knowing her question was a bit stupid, she already had gone two years without Ethel and she would go years without her once she left but she had only gone through the first two years because she literally would mirror her sisters everyday, but now that the girl was older she loved having her sisters in the school with her.

"It is alright it will be easier, you won't have to stick up for me anymore" Ethel told Esmerelda reassuring her it would be okay.

"But I like sticking up for you" Esmerelda replied truthfully and at that Ethel sighed instantly becoming sad again something she was very good at.

"I am sorry Esmie, I got expelled and could not even help you anyway" Ethel replied upset.

"It is okay, these stupid powers though, as soon as I got outside they cut out again" Esmerelda replied really upset and annoyed about it, why was it something always worked whenever you went to show someone?

"ETHEL" someone shouted in the background a voice both girls recognised as their fathers.

"Uh oh I think he knows, I will talk later" Ethel told her sister ending the girl.

Esmerelda sighed hoping her parents would not be to harsh on Ethel and with that the girl left the mirror room.

* * *

"ESMIE ESMIE" Sybil Hallow shouted as the small first year threw open her sister's bedroom door running in looking panicked.

"What is wrong Sybs?" Esmerelda asked instantly jumping up as she saw how panicked the youngest girl was.

"I just mirrored mum and dad and they were in a bad mood because they said Ethel got expelled" the girl told her sister.

Esmerelda sighed. She was literally just about to go and tell Sybil what had happened.

"Yes it is true Sybil" Esmerelda told her sister and she saw the girl's eyes fill with tears and Esmerelda knew Sybil well enough to know the young girl was about to burst into tears and the older sister was right because that is exactly what she did a few seconds later.

"Oh don't cry Sybil" Esmerelda said hugging the smaller girl who leaned into her upset.

"Why did Ethel get expelled?" Sybil asked through her sobs.

"Unfortunately it was a big misunderstanding" Esmerelda replied not wanting to get into it right now as she had a headache, it had been a hard day.

"It wasn't because we kept fighting?" Sybil asked worried that was the reasoning behind it.

"Of course not Sybil, I am going to try and get her back to school with Mildred and the others,you can help us if you want" Esmerelda told the girl knowing Sybil would want to help.

Sybil nodded wanting to help and get her sister back to school.

"Should we write to the grand wizard?" Sybil asked innocently.

"No Sybil that will not be a good idea" Esmerelda replied.

* * *

The problem was Mildred, Maud, Enid, Esmerelda and Sybil were all at a loss as to what they could actually do to help Ethel, they needed something that did not put the other pupils in danger but no-one could think of a way to convince the teachers to let Ethel back in but thankfully none of them would have to think for much longer.

Esmerelda was sitting in her spells lesson leaning her hand on her chin as she looked out the window not really paying attention to the lesson but thinking of a way to help her sister.

"Some of us clearly think we know enough to not pay attention" Miss Cackle who taught spells as well as being head said as she saw how distracted the girl was.

"Esmerelda...Esmerelda!" Ada said causing the girl to turn and look at her.

"Yes Miss?" Esmerelda asked looking at her teacher.

"If you do not think this lesson is important enough to pay attention to, why don't you demonstrate the spell?" Ada told the girl.

Esmerelda looked around realising she did not even know which spell it was and stood up nervously telling herself if she demonstrated a impressive spell no-one would notice if the spell was wrong, she pointed her fingers at the umbrella on the table in the middle of the room and cast a spell.

Students looked around giving each other looks as Esmerelda's spell totally failed and there was not even a spark.

"Esmerelda I am waiting" Ada told her growing annoyed at the girl messing around.

Esmerelda nodded and tried again saying the spell louder and pointing her fingers at the umbrella which didn't move or open or anything and Ada realised the spell was not working and there was not even a spark almost as if the girl had no magic. Students were looking around in confusion.

"Right well sit down Esmerelda" Ada said trying not to draw attention to the fact the girl just basically showed her class she had no magic but the woman was worried that maybe this meant Ethel had been telling the truth and her sister's powers really were no longer working properly.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The class finished and Esmerelda made her way to the door along with the other students and the blonde was nearly at the door when Ada called her back.

"Wait Esmerelda" Ada said stopping the girl in her tracks.

Esmerelda turned around looking at her teacher awkwardly before Ada started to talk.

"Your powers seem to not be working" Ada told her student in a concerned way.

"I failed to have realised" Esmerelda replied not doing a very good job at sarcasm, that was after all her sister's expertise.

"Does this mean that Ethel was telling the truth all along?" Ada asked the girl seriously.

Esmerelda stopped to think about how she wanted to reply. She knew her sister lied a lot and it was hard to believe her because she was untruthful so much but the way that Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom had not even thought the girl could be telling the truth had annoyed her.

"Of course not" Esmerelda replied this time happy to realise she was doing a much better job at her sarcasm, "Ethie would never tell the truth would she?" the girl replied looking at her teacher who sighed.

"Esmerelda" Ada replied sensing the girl was annoyed and trying to calm her down.

"Can I go now?" Esmerelda asked her teacher desperate to go so she could go mirror Ethel.

Ada who had never seen the girl annoyed before or indeed heard her be sarcastic before nodded finally letting the girl leave and once she was gone Ada realised they might have acted unfairly and jumped to conclusions to fast and then there was the matter of fixing the girls magic, Ada only hoped she would be able to sort it all out.

* * *

Esmerelda ran down the corridors arriving outside the mirror room and sighing as she saw how long the queue was, talking to Ada had made her one of the last to arrive.

"Who is in right now?" Esmerelda asked Mildred and her friends who were stood in front of her, the younger girls turned around to speak to the elder girl.

"Drusilla" Mildred told Esmerelda who sighed knowing she took forever.

"I know" Maud replied as she rolled her eyes knowing how long the wait was going to be "Oh bad news we still haven't thought of a plan yet" Maud told Esmerelda informing her they were still at a lost as to how to help Ethel.

"Well thanks for helping anyway" Esmerelda told the girls who turned back around as everyone was waiting in silence, Esmerelda reached into her bag and pulled out the latest book she was reading and read the book already beginning to get lost in the story.

"I wish I could do that" Esmerelda heard Mildred comment and Esmerelda glanced up the book still open.

"Do what?" Esmerelda asked the dark haired girl.

"Read...I don't have enough concentration to read, I end up getting distracted" Mildred told Esmerelda still not able to understand how the sisters could read as much as they do.

"Plus I don't see the point" Enid commented "Watch the film it is way quicker" Enid replied as she hated to read when she didn't have to.

Esmerelda shook her head "Not all books have film adaptions" Esmerelda pointed out logically "And films are never the same, they always miss something out" Esmerelda then said definitely preferring the books.

"I understand that" Maud replied as she liked to read like the older girl, Esmerelda who had lost concentration to much in the conversation to read closed the book and looked down the corridor.

"Have any of you seen Sybil?" she asked Mildred and the gang wondering where her youngest sister was at.

"No sorry" Mildred replied as she had not seen the youngest sister in a while.

Esmerelda was not worried, Sybil unlike her and Ethel was always late for absolutely anything unless food was involved, ten minutes later the girl skipped down the corridor smiling at her sister.

"Sybil you are late" Esmerelda told her sister shaking her head.

"Sorry I got distracted" the girl said spinning around happily.

* * *

The line moved way to slowly for Esmerelda's liking, she wanted to talk to her sister and it was taking forever, finally after two hours Maud came out and Enid and Mildred who had been waiting for her joined her and started walking away.

"Finally we get to talk to Ethie...come on Sybil" Esmerelda told the younger girl as she practically ran into the room happily, Mildred and her friends had stopped to watch and laughed.

"It cracks me up when she does that" Mildred admitted unable to help but smile.

"Same, the way she acts you would think she has not spoke to Ethel in a year" Maud replied adjusting her glasses as the friends laughed at how excitable Esmerelda got whenever she got to speak to or see Ethel. After all the girl was normally quite serious so it was amusing.

* * *

Esmerelda sat down with Sybil as the mirror changed views showing Ethel's bedroom.

"Ethie" Esmerelda said beaming at her sister.

"Hey Esmie, Hey Sybs" Ethel replied using her sister's nicknames.

"How did mum and dad take the news?" Esmerelda asked as she had been worried it would not have gone well once they found out Ethel had been expelled. Ethel sighed sadly.

"They yelled at me for an hour about how it is disgraceful and stuff, they only stopped because they had work" Ethel told Esmerelda confirming it had not gone well.

"Well don't worry Ethel, Mildred is going to help us get you back" Sybil replied sweetly trying to lighten the mood.

"Remind me again why Mildred Hubble is helping?" Ethel asked in a disgusted way still not happy with the idea.

"Because Mildred is the best at coming up with plans with Maud and Enid, so be nice they didn't have to help you know" Esmerelda told her sister.

"But I don't like them" Ethel replied telling her sister what the problem with that is.

"Ethie" Esmerelda replied changing her tone slightly, the tone she used to tell Ethel to stop and she also narrowed her eyebrows at her.

"If they must help" Ethel replied rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry Ethel, Miss Cackle knows that Esmie's powers don't work so maybe she will let you back in the school" Sybil told her as Ethel looked at Esmerelda to explain which she did.

"Well I don't care how I am brought back to school just help me please, I can't stand to see mum and dad glaring at me for much longer" Ethel admitted wanting to get back to school to see her sisters instead of being glared at by her parents.

"Don't worry Ethie, leave it to us" Esmerelda replied happily promising she would get her sister back to school.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Esmerelda and Sybil were walking down the school corridors when HB appeared in front of them out of nowhere causing both girls to jump at how unexpected it was.

"Esmerelda, Miss Cackle wants to see you, move along Sybil" Hecate said to her students transferring Esmerelda away and appearing in Miss Cackle's office with her.

"Esmerelda, I have been watching you for the last few days and I have realised you are correct and your powers are faulty" Miss Cackle said as soon as the girl appeared in her office.

"Yes well I did try to tell you it is not my fault you have selective hearing" Esmerelda replied following her arms, the two teachers glanced at the each other Hecate looking like she was about to tell Esmerelda off for her rudeness but Ada spoke before she could.

"I managed to find a old hairbrush of my sisters so we have DNA from Agatha, Miss Hardbroom the potion please" Ada said turning to her deputy who pulled out a small test-tube of potion and gave it to Esmerelda who looked at it disgusted.

"Just drink it quickly it will be better" Hecate told the girl who obeyed and drank the potion in one gulp pulling a face at the disgusting taste.

Suddenly a blue light eliminated her for a few seconds like it was supposed to the first time she made the potion with Ethel, Ada beamed at her pupil.

"Your powers should be perfectly fine now" Ada told her pupil as she took the test-tube of her and gave it to Hecate.

"That is great but what about my sister?" Esmerelda asked as she folded her arms again looking at her teachers.

Ada and Hecate knew they had done wrong. They had not really investigated anything and expelled Ethel to quickly so they knew they had to bring the girl back.

"Oh of course, Miss Hardbroom" Ada said looking at her deputy who nodded and there was a small noise as she transferred Ethel to the office.

* * *

Ethel appeared saying something about Sybil and then fell over clearly she had been sitting down mirroring her little sister when she appeared so lost her balance. Esmerelda was instantly in panic mode.

"ETHIE" the girl shouted running over to her little sister and helping her up gently.

"Are you okay?" Esmerelda asked panicking the girl was injured.

"I am fine Esmie" Ethel replied and now that she was reassured Esmerelda threw her arms around her sister hugging her but the hug was not returned. Esmerelda pulled away alarmed because Ethel had stopped pushing her away after all and looked at her sister concerned.

Ethel looked miserable and was being quiet and Esmerelda whispered not wanting Hecate and Ada to hear her private conversation.

"What is wrong?" Esmerelda asked Ethel really concerned.

"Mum and dad spent the entire time I was at home yelling at me and saying I am a bad daughter" Ethel replied really sadly clearly really upset about the whole thing.

It was at that point Esmerelda became furious, Ethel had a lot of mental problems but finally was starting to recover, she was finally starting to get better and now she was even worse than she was last year, Esmie knew when Ethel became really quiet she was really really upset, but the thing that angered Esmerelda was that this could have been avoided if Ada and Hecate had not expelled her so quickly.

"Welcome back dear, your stuff is upstairs" Ada said to her pupil brightly not realising Esmerelda was literally fuming.

"Is that all you have to say?" Esmerelda asked her teachers still with her voice at a reasonable level.

"Come on you two lessons will be starting in ten minutes" Hecate told her pupils ignoring Esmerelda and leaving the office with Miss Cackle but for once Esmerelda was not going to give up. She followed the two women down the corridor not caring the place was packed with her schoolmates and teachers enjoying their break.

* * *

"There you go again selective hearing" Esmerelda told them following behind the two women. Pupils all around turned to look wondering what on earth was happening.

"Esmerelda we are not going to do this now" Ada turned around replying to her pupil not wanting to get into the topic in the middle of the school corridor.

"Yes we are" Esmerelda replied moving to stand in front of her teachers and glaring at them.

"My sister was finally starting to get over her problems and you two expelled her without any investigating and sent her home with my parents even though you both know that is where her problems lie and now she has closed off again" Esmerelda told the teachers starting to really raise her voice now. Everyone in the corridor was literally to shocked to even open their mouths.

"And you didn't even say sorry" Esmerelda went on yelling before Hecate stopped her.

"Esmerelda Hallow that is enough!" the woman told her in a deadly tone.

"I HAVE NOT FINISHED YET" Esmerelda yelled loudly at them the pupils all had different expressions not knowing what to make of what was happening.

"This is epic, I wish I had some popcorn" Enid commented to Mildred and Maud highly amused at the older normally calm girl yelling aggressively at Cackle and HB.

"And as we are talking why don't we talk about the way you two treat my sister as we are talking about everything which is wrong, I mean before you even asked her if she had had a good flight and if she was feeling well you started going on about me at selection day last year, before her exam may I add, did you want her to fail is that why you were saying all that crap?" Esmerelda asked her teachers literally going crazy she was yelling at the top of her lungs, her eyes dark with rage.

"Esmerelda" Ada tried to butt in but she made a little noise and stopped talking as the girl glared at her, Mildred and Maud starting laughing at how scared the teachers were of the teenager in that moment.

"You two...will you do something?" Hecate asked looking at Ethel and Sybil knowing they would know how to calm the girl down.

"What is that? I can't hear you!" Ethel replied playing along and refusing to help, Sybil did not do anything either just stood next to Ethel watching her sister yelling.

Some pupils were actually so scared of the eldest blonde right at that moment they backed away in case she turned on them.

"I mean like last year you were asking yourselves why Ethel went to Agatha, maybe because Agatha did not just compare her to me, it is your fault because your pupil did not respect you enough because you treat her so badly" Esmerelda went on the entire corridor stood in silence watching her.

"You two are awful at looking after my sister, nearly as bad as my parents are, you do realise sisters are not clones of each other right? You want her to be like me but she is not me and she has her own strengths which you ignore" Esmerelda went on getting everything she has wanted to say from last year up until now of her chest.

"And now you sent her away to be yelled at constantly for a week and then when she comes back you say 'oh welcome back' Esmerelda went on mocking Ada "Not even I am sorry for not believing you and expelling you because my ears don't seem to work" Esmerelda went on and on and everyone was so distracted no-one realised that they were meant to have started lessons by now.

"Esmerelda" Miss Drill said trying to stop the pupil as she was looking like she was about to strike at someone.

Esmerelda looked around and realised everyone was staring at her, some like Enid looking like they were trying not to laugh, others like Felicity looking terrified and Mildred just looked confused and shocked, the girl felt like she had said everything she needed to say so she stopped shouting and took her sisters by the hand walking away leaving people stood there confused.

* * *

"Alright show is over, get to your lessons now!" Hecate shouted not going after Esmerelda because she didn't want to be cursed by her. The pupils started to move along.

"Woah, she is so scary when she is angry, way worse than Ethel" Enid commented to her friends.

"50 times scarier" Maud added

"50? 100 times scarier more like, Ethel doesn't terrify the teachers so much they lose their ability of speech" Mildred commented truthfully causing her friends to laugh.

"Just remind me never to anger Esmerelda, who knew she had it in her?" Felicity commented walking with the gang to their chanting lesson.

"Well she probably only gets like that because she is protecting her sisters, basically like a lioness protecting her cubs, in this case her precious little sisters" Maud commented as she walked with the gang.

"If she is like that with her sisters imagine when she is a mother, can you imagine her yelling at the teachers because they made her child cry?" Enid commented as she walked with the rest.

"I think everyone would go into hiding" Mildred commented deadly serious about it as well.

"I feel sorry for any boy that wants to date Ethel or Sybil" Maud replied imaging how well that will go.

"Me too poor boy, he will be cursed everytime he looks at one of them" Felicity told her friends as they reached their classroom.

That was the topic of the day, how Esmerelda had yelled at her teachers and scared everyone half to death in the process, how she had finally showed her Hallow side.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Mr and Mrs Hallow were called into the school the next day so that Ada could apologise in person for expelling their daughter to quickly and so she could also apologise to Esmerelda, but Ada became angry when she realised they did not care at all about it, they were just annoyed they had to look after Ethel themselves and were more than happy to give her back to the school to watch.

Esmerelda was in the room as Ada really was trying to prove to the girl she was sorry about what had happened, the girl rolled her eyes as her parents went on about how they lost money because Ethel was expelled, Esmerelda had no idea how they had: they left her with the bloody servants anyway!

"Sorry Miss Cackle we really have to go we will be late for a meeting" Mrs Hallow told the woman as her and her husband stood up.

"Goodbye Darling" Mrs Hallow said to her eldest not making any attempt to hug her because the family was not really into physical contact well at least Mr and Mrs Hallow were not.

Esmerelda sat in her chair with her arms folded and rolled her eyes again not replying and her father laughed turning to Ada.

"Teenagers, you know what they are like when they reach that age where there is only one thing on their mind" Mr Hallow told Ada chuckling finding it so funny as he hinted Esmerelda was thinking about boys which is why she was being rude.

"Yes my sisters" Esmerelda replied honestly not laughing at her fathers stupid comment he had made about her attitude.

"Yes well I am sure you are thinking about Sybil as well" Mrs Hallow commented totally forgetting about Ethel.

"No I was actually thinking about Ethie" Esmerelda replied truthfully, she was still worried about Ethel so Sybil wasn't on her mind right at that moment in time.

"Ahh" her mother said sounding disappointed if anything that she was being forced to talk about her middle daughter "I will leave you to it, see you later" her parents told her before both disappearing wanting to leave to avoid talking about the subject of Ethel.

Ada touched her head, somehow after talking to Mr and Mrs Hallow she always got a headache from their obnoxious attitude.

"Are you okay Esmerelda?" Ada asked concerned seeing her pupil just sitting there.

"I am perfectly fine, can I go?" Esmerelda asked her headteacher. She knew Ada had apologised but there was so much hurt caused to Ethel by the woman Esmerelda could not just forgive her.

"Yes, thank you for coming to this ..meeting with me" Ada told her pupil even though the meeting had not gone how she had planned.

Esmerelda stood up and left the room going to find Ethel and Sybil, as after all it was always her sisters on her mind.

* * *

Things at Cackles soon settled down, things between the Hallows and the teachers were kind of awkward after Esmerelda had had a go at them but at least Ada had apologised properly to them but it did not mean Esmerelda had forgiven the woman, it was true she forgave Ethel instantly for what happened with Agatha but that was only because she could never stay mad at Ethel...she loved her to much to stay mad at her for to long, but the eldest sister could hold grudges just as much as her little sister and it would take her a long time to trust Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom with her little sisters.

Esmerelda was pleased to discover her powers were back to normal finally but she was still worried about Ethel's well-being, she was really trying to spend time with her sister as much as possible not wanting her to close off again as she was always so hard to reach when she was closed off.

"Here, I got you a new book" Esmerelda told her sister giving her sister a book that she had brought her the other day, needing her to stay with her and not spiral down to where she has been before.

"Oh thanks Esmie" Ethel said smiling at her. She loved to read after all.

"You will like this book, the main character is just like you...really really bossy" Esmerelda told her sister as she laughed.

"I am not bossy...you are bossy!" Ethel replied throwing it back at Esmie.

"Yes but I am bossy because I need you to do something like eat or sleep, you are bossy because you are well...just bossy" Esmerelda replied explaining the difference to her sister.

Esmie and Ethel were sat in the second year area and Ethel grabbed a cushion of one of the sofas and hit her sister with her.

"Don't be so mean" Ethel shouted as her sister laughed more.

The two girls loved to read anything and everything they could get their hands on but even though they discussed books they tended to read by themselves enjoying the peace and quiet just for them but Esmerelda had taken to reading her book as she sat next to Ethel not wanting the girl to get it into her head she didn't like her as she knew Ethel was so sensitive and took everything seriously.

The two girls were reading happily when out of nowhere Sybil jumped onto the sofa between them shouting 'CANONBALL' and causing the sofa to move a little, the thing was when Esmerelda and Ethel read they loose focus on anything around them, they basically entered their own world so when Sybil jumped on the sofa, both girls jumped and Esmerelda dropped her book in shock.

"Sybil don't do that!" Esmerelda told her off as she clutched her chest as the youngest blonde laughed at her sister. Esmerelda bent down to pick up her book and then said "Oh no" and both Ethel and Sybil turned to look at her.

"What?" Ethel asked wondering what was so bad.

"I lost my page" Esmerelda replied flicking through the book as she looked for the right page. Ethel for the first time since she had returned to school laughed.

"Ha, that is karma that, you are mean to me so you lose your precious page" Ethel replied giggling and Esmerelda forgot all about her book and leaped on Ethel hugging her happy to hear her laughing again.

"Esmie you are literally the most random person when it comes to hugging me" Ethel replied not understanding why her sister decided to leap on her in that moment.

"I am hugging you because I am glad you are laughing" Esmerelda replied as she cuddled Ethel who hugged her back one armed because she was reading her book.

"HAHAHA" Sybil pretended to laugh "Now can I have a hug?" Sybil asked not wanting to be left out. Esmerelda chuckled and moved to hug Sybil instead, nothing giving her more joy than showing her sisters love.

* * *

Later on Ethel was still sat with her sisters when Mildred appeared with her friends and walked up to them.

"Hi Ethel, welcome back" Mildred told the girl politely honestly glad she was back, they might not get on but Esmerelda and Sybil moping around was really making everyone miserable.

"Thanks" Ethel replied without looking up basically ignoring Mildred.

"Ethie" Esmerelda said looking at the younger girl and raising her eyebrows.

"Oh come on Esmie" Ethel complained as she looked at the eldest.

"Now!" Esmerelda told her sternly.

Mildred and her friends all glanced at each other wondering how on earth they were able to communicate by saying so little but then Mildred had to force herself not to smile as Ethel turned to look at her.

"Thank you for trying to get me back to school...I really appreciate it" Ethel told Mildred not even able to look at her as she said it. Mildred was struggling not to laugh wondering how Esmerelda had managed to get Ethel to apologise just by looking at her. Mildred nodded forcing herself not to laugh and then replied.

"You are welcome Ethel" Mildred replied walking of with her friends.

"That was great, I assume she didn't want to make Esmerelda mad" Maud commented to her friends.

"Smart girl, who would want Esmerelda yelling at them?" Enid replied as she went to sit down with her friends none of them having forgotten Esmerelda yelling at the teachers.

* * *

Esmerelda watched her sisters as they argued with each other so happy that Ethel was back at school with them as she had missed her more than she would admit during her brief time she was expelled.

"Well you are rubbish at flying!" Ethel shouted throwing a insult back at Sybil.

"Oi you two stop it" Esmerelda told them as the fight got worse and she realised it was time to put a stop to it.

"But Esmie she started it" Sybil replied in a whiny voice not liking that she got told off.

"I don't care if the great wizard started it just stop it" Esmerelda replied causing both girls to fold their arms and sit there in a huff and Esmerelda could not help but smirk.

Her powers were back to normal, Ethel was back at school and her sisters were fighting like a cat and mouse just the way she liked it, her year might not of started out very good but it was finishing really good and though it would take a long time for Ethel to go back to normal and Esmerelda to place her trust in someone else to look after her sisters, right now she was happy and everything else would happen as it happened but with her sisters she could take anything.


End file.
